May Oscar Predictions

Is Unbroken really an early favorite for Best Picture?

I've made a few changes since last month's predictions, but it's still too early to know anything for sure. While I've slightly warmed to Unbroken, Big Eyes and The Imitation Game, I've also softened on the prospects of Inherent Vice and, to a lesser extent, Gone Girl. Again, my predictions are based on the assumption that we won't see films like Carol, Suffragette and Macbeth this year. It's possible Far from the Madding Crowd will be released, but I've left it off for now.

BEST PICTURE:

Big Eyes

Birdman

Foxcatcher

Gone Girl
The Imitation Game

Inherent Vice

Interstellar
Into the Woods

Magic in the Moonlight

Unbroken

Changes: Replaced Trash with The Imitation Game

BEST DIRECTOR:

Tim Burton, Big Eyes

Angelina Jolie, Unbroken

Rob Marshall, Into the Woods

Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher

Christopher Nolan, Interstellar

Changes: Replaced Anderson and Fincher with Burton and Jolie

BEST ACTOR:

Ben Affleck, Gone Girl

Steve Carell, Foxcatcher

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman

Jack O'Connell, Unbroken

Changes: Replaced Phoenix with Cumberbatch

BEST ACTRESS:

Amy Adams, Big Eyes

Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl

Hilary Swank, The Homesman
Michelle Williams, Suite Française

Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Changes: Replaced Bejo with Swank

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Johnny Depp, Into the Woods

Edward Norton, Birdman

Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher

Channing Tatum, Foxcatcher

Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes

Changes: Replaced Brolin and Hoffman with Depp and Norton

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Viola Davis, Get on Up

Marcia Gay Harden, Magic in the Moonlight

Anna Kendrick, Into the Woods

Kristin Scott Thomas, Suite Française

Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

Changes: None

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Foxcatcher
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game

Inherent Vice

Unbroken

Changes: Replaced Into the Woods and Trash with Foxcatcher (from original) and The Imitation Game

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Big Eyes

Birdman

Interstellar

Magic in the Moonlight
A Most Violent Year

Changes: Replaced Foxcatcher with A Most Violent Year

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

Big Eyes
Exodus: Gods and Kings

Inherent Vice

Interstellar

Into the Woods

Changes: Replaced The Grand Budapest Hotel with Big Eyes

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Gone Girl

The Immigrant

Interstellar

Into the Woods

Unbroken

Changes: None

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

Big Eyes
Exodus: Gods and Kings

Inherent Vice
Into the Woods

Jersey Boys

Changes: Replaced Grace of Monaco and Magic in the Moonlight with Big Eyes and Inherent Vice

BEST FILM EDITING:

Foxcatcher

Gone Girl

Interstellar

Into the Woods
Unbroken

Changes: Replaced Inherent Vice with Unbroken

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

Big Eyes
Gone Girl

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Interstellar

Unbroken

Changes: Replaced Exodus: Gods and Kings and Inherent Vice with Big Eyes and The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

Begin Again

Into the Woods

The LEGO Movie

Muppets Most Wanted

Unbroken

Changes: None

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:

Foxcatcher

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Into the Woods

Changes: Replaced Maleficent with The Hobbit

BEST SOUND MIXING:

Fury

Godzilla

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Interstellar

Into the Woods

Changes: None

BEST SOUND EDITING:

Fury

Godzilla

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Interstellar

Transformers: Age of Extinction

Changes: None

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Godzilla

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Interstellar

Noah

Changes: None

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:

The Boxtrolls

How to Train Your Dragon 2

The LEGO Movie

Changes: None

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

Brazil
Belgium
China

France

Spain

Changes: Replaced Canada and Germany with Brazil and Belgium